Why not just train the d@mn dog?

[GSD Woman]

Today at work I went in to a room with another person to give vaccines. (Rabies vax in my state have to be given by a vet or licensed tech.) One of the doctors had stopped to speak to the owner and told her she should talk to another vet who does behavior work. That vet's advice tends to be give them Prozac. I casually asked the woman what sort of behavior problems they were having. Dog is 6 years old and was never proper. ly housebroken. Instead of watching the dog or confining it to areas where he doesn't pee the dog is allowed run of the house. He lifts his leg on the daughter's bed. My coworker also trains dogs. We were both amazed that this family is so dense. I made a comment about the dog needing housebreaking 101. "Oh, but he's so smart!" and then she said the thing about marking the bed. I told him he wouldn't get away with that in my house and maybe he needed to come to boot camp. Coworker couldn't believe that this problem was being referred for a behavior consult. Some people have more money than sense.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Hard to train a dog to do/not do things when you're not in the room with it....

 

[GSD Woman]

CC, true and I guess it is just easier to drug the dog instead of putting in a little effort.

 

[twiggy2]

Training the dog takes effort and input from the owner, who can be arsed with that when you can just throw some meds at it?

 

[Goldenstar]

There are people who genuinely don’t realise you have to train a dog .

 

[scats]

I know a girl who had a dog from a rescue and then ended up getting rid of it because it messed in the house. All she did was moan about the ‘dam dog’ wrecking her carpets, but it never entered her head that she needed to house train it.

A year later, she got another from somewhere else. It was gone within 2 months, same reason.

 

[Clodagh]

I know a girl who had a dog from a rescue and then ended up getting rid of it because it messed in the house. All she did was moan about the ‘dam dog’ wrecking her carpets, but it never entered her head that she needed to house train it.

A year later, she got another from somewhere else. It was gone within 2 months, same reason.

Oh my that could have been my husbands ex wife.
1. Get dog from rescue
2. make no effort with dog
3. Send back to rescue
4. Repeat.

 

[Clodagh]

There are people who genuinely don’t realise you have to train a dog .

Or their children!

Seriously though I cannot believe a vet would prescribe prozac for a dog when all it needs is housetraining - WTF!?

 

[fankino04]

I'm confused about how Prozac stops it needing the toilet? The drug obviously can't Miraculously tell the dog to only eliminate outside so how does Prozac replace house-training???

 

[skinnydipper]

Seriously though I cannot believe a vet would prescribe prozac for a dog when all it needs is housetraining - WTF!?

You've nailed it, Clodagh.

There are a number of reasons why a dog might mark in the house, anxiety is one. That may be why a vet, who has an interest in behavioural problems, is trying the dog on Prozac.

 

[Clodagh]

You've nailed it, Clodagh.

There are a number of reasons why a dog might mark in the house, anxiety is one. That may be why a vet, who has an interest in behavioural problems, is trying the dog on Prozac.

I suppose that does make sense. I never imagined dogs on prozac! You would think it would be a last resort though.

 

[Bellasophia]

Maybe the Prozac was for the owner..
this way,
dog poos in the house ,
owner doesn’t care.
Also doesn’t care when they get rid of the dog.

Seriously,we have similar situations here..my neighbour has had multiple puppies,not simultaneously,one after another...they all live in the garden..they bark all day,they”pull on the lead don’t ya know,so can’t be walked”.....”We can’t have them indoors because they dirty the house”.

Her beautiful French bulldog died at six months,choking on a stick in the garden..her kitten died after being hunted down by their boxer ,and it fell off the balcony breaking its neck.
The boxer later died with untreated melanomas. she said it’s” a boxer thing” so no point treating..
They had a Siberian puppy for six months,but he howled at night..it was winter,no kennel,and he mysteriously disappeared.
Latest dog is a hunting breed,from an unwanted litter,so freely given to be the children's toy ..but he ragged them and wasn’t fun after four months..dog is currently going mental..he has been relegated from the larger front garden to the back where he will languish unseen and not bother the neighbors..
ive offered to help train the dog to walk on a lead..wife says no point as noone wants to walk him..husbands job and he’s tired when he gets in..
she regards me as interfering so I’ve stopped .

 

[CorvusCorax]

Or their children!

Seriously though I cannot believe a vet would prescribe prozac for a dog when all it needs is housetraining - WTF!?

Some rescues use it for anxious dogs.

 

[Goldenstar]

I can see that if breaks the cycle of the dog feeling anxious while you work to establish a routine the dog can cope with it would make sense to use a drug .

 

[skinnydipper]

CC, true and I guess it is just easier to drug the dog instead of putting in a little effort.

There will be people reading this who themselves have personally benefited from taking an SSRI.

If a dog was diabetic I would not deny it insulin.

 

[splashgirl45]

i read a facebook post recently, someone was looking for a rescue...a young dog, medium sized, must be housetrained and used to children, not strong on the lead and non reactive to other dogs... i think they are maybe a bit too picky

 

[CorvusCorax]

The dog might not be anxious, maybe just not trained.
Lots of dogs do lots of things, it's not necessarily because they are anxious or scared etc etc etc.
I'm sure the vet will advise appropriately.

 

[{97702}]

I take Prozac every day and have done for about 15 years now, I can honestly say it’s done nothing for my house training...... ?

It would seem that these people fit into my group of ‘people who just should not have dogs’...... whereas the ones BellaSophia describes can go into the ‘people who should face prosecution’ category ?

 

[skinnydipper]

I'm sure the vet will advise appropriately.

Yep, it sounded to me as though the owner was being advised to see a veterinary behaviourist - someone who will know if a trial of Prozac would be a good option for the dog.

One of the doctors had stopped to speak to the owner and told her she should talk to another vet who does behavior work. That vet's advice tends to be give them Prozac.

Prozac for dogs
https://www.care.com/c/stories/6405/prozac-for-dogs/

 

[Moobli]

Maybe the Prozac was for the owner..
this way,
dog poos in the house ,
owner doesn’t care.
Also doesn’t care when they get rid of the dog.

Seriously,we have similar situations here..my neighbour has had multiple puppies,not simultaneously,one after another...they all live in the garden..they bark all day,they”pull on the lead don’t ya know,so can’t be walked”.....”We can’t have them indoors because they dirty the house”.

Her beautiful French bulldog died at six months,choking on a stick in the garden..her kitten died after being hunted down by their boxer ,and it fell off the balcony breaking its neck.
The boxer later died with untreated melanomas. she said it’s” a boxer thing” so no point treating..
They had a Siberian puppy for six months,but he howled at night..it was winter,no kennel,and he mysteriously disappeared.
Latest dog is a hunting breed,from an unwanted litter,so freely given to be the children's toy ..but he ragged them and wasn’t fun after four months..dog is currently going mental..he has been relegated from the larger front garden to the back where he will languish unseen and not bother the neighbors..
ive offered to help train the dog to walk on a lead..wife says no point as noone wants to walk him..husbands job and he’s tired when he gets in..
she regards me as interfering so I’ve stopped .

heartbreaking, especially as they won’t even accept your help. Poor bloody animals.

 

[Spanny]

Maybe the Prozac was for the owner..
this way,
dog poos in the house ,
owner doesn’t care.
Also doesn’t care when they get rid of the dog.

Seriously,we have similar situations here..my neighbour has had multiple puppies,not simultaneously,one after another...they all live in the garden..they bark all day,they”pull on the lead don’t ya know,so can’t be walked”.....”We can’t have them indoors because they dirty the house”.

Her beautiful French bulldog died at six months,choking on a stick in the garden..her kitten died after being hunted down by their boxer ,and it fell off the balcony breaking its neck.
The boxer later died with untreated melanomas. she said it’s” a boxer thing” so no point treating..
They had a Siberian puppy for six months,but he howled at night..it was winter,no kennel,and he mysteriously disappeared.
Latest dog is a hunting breed,from an unwanted litter,so freely given to be the children's toy ..but he ragged them and wasn’t fun after four months..dog is currently going mental..he has been relegated from the larger front garden to the back where he will languish unseen and not bother the neighbors..
ive offered to help train the dog to walk on a lead..wife says no point as noone wants to walk him..husbands job and he’s tired when he gets in..
she regards me as interfering so I’ve stopped .

Oh goodness, this makes me so sad. Those poor animals.

 

[GSD Woman]

This dog certainly doesn't seem stressed. It sounds more like an untrained dog.
I have no issues with SSRIs, I take one myself.
The veterinarian is interested in behavior, she not a specialist. Unfortunately, I've seen enough of the animals she treats and Prozac is often part of her first suggestion. Too be fair she does recommend trainers, some of them I know. It is a mixed bag, some are OK and some suck.